Residents of Gjorica e Poshtme, in the Bulqizë area of Albania, clashed Saturday with representatives of a subcontracting company that arrived in the area to begin preparatory work for the construction of a photovoltaic solar park.
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| Residents of Gjorica e Poshtme gathering to block preparatory work on a controversial photovoltaic solar park project that threatens traditional communal grazing land |
Following the confrontation, several residents and a representative of the subcontracting company were escorted to the police station to provide statements.
The company representative said that his firm has a contract with the investor and that the project documentation complies with the procedures followed by the relevant institutions.
“We are representatives of the company. We have a contract with the investor… attached to the contract is the decision of the National Territorial Council regarding the construction permit,” the representative said.
He stressed that the company present at the site is not the investor itself, but a contractor hired to carry out the works. According to him, the initial activities involve surveying, parceling and fencing the area, with further work expected to continue in the coming days.
Residents: “We Were Told One Hectare, Then 42.5 Hectares Appeared”
Residents say the dispute has been developing for months and centers largely on how the project was initially presented to the local community.
According to their account, they were initially approached regarding the use of approximately one hectare of land. They later learned, they claim, that the project would cover approximately 42.5 hectares of forest and grazing land, while other areas were also reportedly discussed.
“We were told about one hectare, but now it is turning out to be 40 hectares. They are pushing us out. We have nowhere to take our livestock,” one resident said.
The villagers maintain that the area has traditionally been used as communal pasture and that hundreds of livestock depend on it.
Another resident said that approximately 800 animals graze in the area.
Residents argue that converting the land for a photovoltaic installation would significantly reduce available grazing space and potentially damage the economic livelihood of local families dependent on livestock farming.
Residents Say They Have Taken the Case to SPAK
The villagers' opposition has also moved into the legal sphere.
Residents say they have submitted the case to SPAK, Albania's Special Prosecution Office, and are awaiting a response concerning their allegations about the procedures and documentation surrounding the project.
“Until we finish with SPAK, we have no business here,” one resident said during the confrontation.
Another resident claimed that SPAK had confirmed receipt of the documentation submitted by the villagers and alleged that the project documents contain irregularities.
These are allegations made by the residents and do not constitute a finding by a prosecutorial authority or court.
80 Families Authorize Legal Action
The opposition to the project has also resulted in formal legal representation.
On April 17, 2026, a group of families from Gjorica e Poshtme signed a special notarized power of attorney in Peshkopi, authorizing lawyers Adriatik Lapaj and Dorina Prethi to pursue administrative and judicial procedures concerning the project.
According to the document, the lawyers were authorized to request documentation and decisions from institutions concerning the 42.5-hectare area, attend meetings of the Bulqizë Municipal Council and represent the residents in court proceedings.
Residents have also stated that more than 80 heads of households have signed an objection to the use of the land they describe as the village's communal pasture.
They claim the land has been used as common grazing territory for more than 200 years and was not divided during Albania's land-reform processes precisely because of its communal function.
What Does the “Gjorica Solar Park” Project Include?
The “Gjorica Solar Park” project was approved by Decision No. 41, dated May 29, 2024, of Albania's National Territorial Council.
According to the technical documentation cited in the dispute, the project involves a photovoltaic power plant with an installed capacity of 40 MW.
The site plan provides for construction over a total area of approximately 401,000 square meters, or around 40 hectares, while the area occupied by the photovoltaic panels is more than 158,000 square meters.
The project also includes a 110/35 kV electrical substation, electrical cabins, inverters and the associated infrastructure required for the facility.
“This Is the Only Pasture the Village Has”
For the residents, the dispute is not simply about the construction of a renewable-energy facility but about how the land will be used and what impact the project could have on livestock farming.
In complaints submitted to institutions, they have argued that the area has been used for generations to graze livestock.
“This is the only pasture the village has. If it is taken for solar panels, our livestock will have nowhere to graze and our families will lose their main source of livelihood,” residents have argued.
The villagers say they are prepared to pursue the matter through legal channels and will oppose further intervention on the site until their concerns are fully addressed by the relevant institutions.
Meanwhile, the subcontractor's representative maintains that the work is being carried out on the basis of a contract with the investor and documentation approved by the authorities.
The dispute has now moved from public hearings and meetings of the Municipal Council to a direct confrontation at the project site. The next stage could depend on whether the relevant investigative and administrative authorities examine the residents' allegations concerning the procedures, ownership and use of the land.
For now, the residents say they will not allow the works to continue without a full institutional clarification.
“We, as people, as citizens, as villagers and as the owners of this land, will not leave,” one resident said during Saturday's confrontation.